Featured IPT Client

I thought I would give everyone a before/after shot of one of our clients at IPT. Jamie is one of the most pleasant individuals to be around and made an AMAZING body transformation!! And sorry boys, she just recently got engaged........congratulations Jamie!!



Here is what Jamie had to say about her training experience:

".......I have been to gyms and worked out on the equipment. I have worked out with trainers from other gyms – but it is only since training with Dewey that I realized and then surpassed my fitness and weight loss goals. Dewey made my time at the gym more efficient and effective and beyond that, gave me the additional information I needed to achieve success. The key was my willingness to learn from him and trust his advice. The result has been a loss of 40 lbs and being in the best condition of my life."

DN

Featured Exercise: Side Bridge

The side bridge is one of Stuart McGill's BIG 3. One of the best benefits to the side bridge is that it gives you the highest abdominal load with minimal spinal load. It's a WIN WIN. The video is a progressions that we do over several weeks. These are NOT done in one session.



Try this:

3-4 weeks: Side Bridge - knees (beginner)
3-4 weeks: Side Bridge - feet stacked (intermediate)
3-4 weeks: Side Bridge - feet elevated (advanced)
3-4 weeks: Side Bridge - jumping jack (super hero......yes Andy is a super hero)

We typically perform 30 second holds each side or 10 reps each side

DN

Power to the Pushup

The pushup is one of the most underrated exercises. It is a great corrective exercise, anterior core exercise and strength exercise. Yes big dudes, pushups are a great strength exercise (try throwing on a heavy weight vest and you will get the picture)!

The pushup is what Gray Cook and Lee Burton refer to as a Primitave Pattern. It is one of the first patterns we learn in the human growth development process. So, it is probably more important to learn a proper pushup before someone is squatting, lunging and deadlifting.

Also, you get some great serratus anterior activation because the scapulae are free to move. You don't get this in a bench press because we want a "packed" shoulder and minimal scap movement.

If you are not including pushups in your program.......start yesterday. If you are including pushups in your program, let's make sure you do them right.

Here are the three most common errors in the pushup:

1: Elbows flared (Yes, this hurt)


This can really wreak havoc on your shoulders over time. On a similar note, this is also a common mistake in bench pressing.

2: Sway back (Yes, this one hurt worse)


This is usually indicative of a weak core. Usually a pretty simple fix.

3: Head up


Driving the head up can tend to kick in the upper trap a bit and lead to some scapular elevation which can create instability in the shoulder complex.

And finally, a correct pushup!


Look to have "pillar" like stability through the body along with a slight elbow tuck. Also, focus on "clawing" the ground with your hands. This will create more shoulder and core stability.

DN

Over-Reaction to Static Stretching

This is in response to a handful of my clients recently being told that static stretching before their workout is detrimental. Hop on the "Logic Train" and enjoy the ride!!


A constantly debated topic in the fitness industry is the use of static stretching. The popular statement that static stretching reduces force output has made individuals completely over-react to static stretching. Some trainers and coaches now avoid static stretching like the plague, especially the use of it before resistance training.

Many world class coaches use static stretching and use it before resistance training with great results. Mike Boyle, Alwyn Cosgrove, Joe DeFranco, Martin Rooney and many others all incorporate static stretching in their program design.

You must understand that it is NEVER the modality that is the problem.......It is the misunderstanding of how to USE the modality and the misinterpretation of research.

We use static stretching all the time and you know what? We use it BEFORE resistance training. I can hear the shrieking screams now!! Look at this logically. We know that static stretching has some inhibiting qualities to it. Basically if you static stretch a muscle, that muscle will be a little more relaxed for a short duration following the stretch. This is not really a bad thing. If someone has tight pecs, I could stretch their pecs and before doing a set of Rows in order to get more scapular retraction. I could also stretch someones hip flexors before they do a vertical jump in order to get the hip extensors to do their job without interference of the antagonist. So, the inhibition of the muscle was exactly what I was looking for. As you can see, it is not the modality that is the problem but rather not knowing how to use the modality.

A chainsaw is a great tool in a logger's hands but may be extremely dangerous in a 4 year olds hands.

The most popular time to do static stretching is post workout. This is fine but it only restores tissue length back to what it was before the workout. If you are looking to improve tissue length, stretch cold.......YES COLD. In fact, most soft tissue experts will tell you that if you want a structural change in the tissue you should stretch cold. And even better is to stretch directly after soft tissue work. This is exactly what we do. Foam roll first followed by static stretching.

Also understand that we do not stretch and then maximally lift a weight. Here is the order of our programming:

1. Soft-tissue work
2. Static stretch (commonly tight areas, ex: hip flexors, lateral hamstring, adductors, pecs, hip rotators)
3. Activation
4. Movement Prep
5. Speed
6. Power (med ball, plyos, etc.)
7. Strength
8. Condition

By the time we are strength training, it has been nearly 30 minutes since we have stretched. Do you seriously think that we are going to have negative benefits on our force output 30 minutes later??? Feel free to come into our gym and watch one of our fighters do some static stretching.........then have him kick you in the head and see if he has lost his strength and power. When you wake up from your reality check I will have a delicious protein recovery drink waiting for you :-)

"Do you wanna tell GSP that stretching is making him weak?"

Really we could make any research support a belief. If I tested your 3RM in the bench press and then immediately tested your 5RM, you would be significantly weaker. SHAZAAM!! We just provided research that says "Strength training makes you weaker"!!

Note: Go to Pubmed and re-read the research

DN

Simply Amazing

The way these kids move is simply amazing!! Talk about body awareness and athleticism......wow!!



DN

HFCS.....its back.......

I know what your saying, "CORN AGAIN??!! Give it a rest Dewey!!"

A few months ago I wrote about how the Corn Refiners Association was launching some major advertisement on High Fructose Corn Syrup because people are becoming more aware of how bad this crap is for you.

So here it is!! The cheesiest commercials about how HFCS is okay for you because its.........."Made From Corn". These are the same dirty marketing strategies that the tobacco folks use to tell us nicotine is not addictive.

What they don't tell is that this stuff is pretty much banned in places like Canada, Europe and Mexico.




Kinda sounds like a drug dealer huh? "Here little Johnny, just snort one or two lines.......a little Cocaine won't hurt."

DN

Kick Cancer in the A$$

We have formed an Oregon First Community Team (my wife's employer) for the Susan G. Komen, Portland Race for the Cure. The event is Sept. 21 2008 and we are participating in a 5k walk to benefit breast cancer research.

This cause has personally effected many of us including my Mother and good friend Laura Stroth who are both breast cancer survivors!!

Oregon and Washington have the highest rates of breast cancer in the nation and is the leading cause of death in women between ages 40-59. Each year 2,444 women are diagnosed in Oregon and 4156 are diagnosed in Washington. 520 women in Oregon and 780 in Washington will die from breast cancer annually.

This is the 17th annual Portland Race and Mary's 4th time participating on a team. It's a really powerful event for a great cause that draws tons of people and we hope to have a stellar turn out . Donations can be made in Dewey's name at the following link.

Kick Cancer in the A$$

Thanks!!

DN

HIIT: Lose more fat

Aerobics suck!! There I said it. If you are doing 30 minutes to an hour of aerobic training to lose fat, you are wasting your time. If your goal is fat loss, high intensity interval training (HIIT) is your go to weapon. The downside to HIIT is…….well, it friggin’ sucks because it’s hard. But the benefits are:

Extreme fat loss
EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption)
Elevated metabolism
Save time (most sessions are under 15 minutes, but remember it’s HARD)

Here is a study that showed interval training to be nine times more effective than traditional aerobics. Yes, NINE TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!

Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C.
Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism.
Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8

They compared 20 weeks of traditional aerobics to 15 weeks of interval training. The interval group burned less than half as many calories as the aerobic group. But the interval group lost nine times more fat!! In less weeks!! This is most likely due to EPOC. After interval training, EPOC is raised, metabolism is elevated and you are burning a significant amount of calories by doing nothing. In fact, some research has shown EPOC to be elevated as long as 40+ hours after training.

So, check out some of the research on EPOC:

Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM.
Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7. Epub 2002 Jan 29.

This study showed EPOC was elevated for 38 hours post workout. That means 38 hours of cooking away calories without doing anything. I’ll take that!!

Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, Yeater R.
Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.

The resistance training group lost significantly more fat and the aerobic group actually decreased their metabolism (not good).

Kramer, Volek et al.
Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, pp. 1320-1329, 1999.

Diet group: Lost 14.6 pounds
Diet/Aerobic group: Lost 15.6 pounds (only one pound more)
Resistance training group: Lost 21.1 pounds (again probably due to EPOC)

Even with all of the research, people with continue to do steady state aeorbics. Why? For the simple fact that it is EASY and interval training is HARD. Remember, traditional cardio makes you an efficient fat STORING machine.

So the next time you are at the gym and see someone doing some long slow aerobic training (for the goal of fat loss), throw a 5 pound plate at their head to knock some sense into them. And if you are that person running a long, slow, death to nowhere………..have someone throw a 10 pound plate at your head :-)

DN

Dinosaur Doctors

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine. He was asking if I had ever heard of prolotherapy. His girlfriend is having back problems and is getting shots of prolo. I don't know much about prolo so I won't act like I do but I will give some feed back on what I have heard:

Note: These are from a hand full of PT's I have talked with

1. It is better (maybe safer) than cortisone shots.
2. No known side affects.
3. Should still be a last resort


My advice would be to NOT get the shots until Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip stability has been assessed. Basically, how well does the lumbar spine, pelvis and hip integrate and stabilize together? Starting with the prolo shots is going about the problem completely backwards.

Now, with all that said, I will get to the REAL point.......The doctors advice. Remember that the prolo shots were for back pain. Following the shots, the doctor told here to, and I quote, "do ab work and lots of crunches along with stretching your back". Someone could not give worse advise for this situation!! This doctor should be chained to two 18 wheelers driving in opposite directions.

Once again we are proven that dinosaurs are not extinct...........



















DN

Gimmick Exposed!!

With all the fitness gimmicks and BS out there, I figured I would start a "Gimmick Exposed" feature to this blog. I may get some hate mail or get lynched in a dark alley at some point........but oh well.

Let's start with the most recent piece of crap I've seen, The downs disc

Here's my testimonial:

"If you would like to get weaker and look pathetic, all while creating some SEXY back pain, then you must get the downs disc asap!! The opposite sex will really dig the new lump on your low back (as long as they don't realize that the lump is actually a posterior herniated disc)."

DN

Christian the Lion

Alright, this has nothing to do with strength and conditioning, performance enhancement or corrective exercise.........but it is very neat!! I found this at Alwynn Cosgrove's blog. It's pretty amazing.



DN

Look for a Weak Synergist

Q: I recently pulled my quad while sprinting. This is a re-occurring problem. Along with my quad, last year I also pulled my hamstring twice. Is there anything I can do to hopefully prevent it happening again?

A: With any injury, one of the first things we do is look for a weak synergist. When people pull/strain their quadriceps, it is usually only one of the quads. Namely the Rectus Femoris. In this case, look at the Illio-Psoas. Most likely you will find significant weakness. With the hamstring, you will find weakness in the glutes.

Quad injuries = strengthen the psoas

Example of psoas activation

Hamstring injuries = strengthen the glutes

Example of glute activation

Think of it this way.:

Your glutes and hamstrings are teammates (they assist each other with many movements). Your glutes are the pilot (bigger, stronger muscle) and hamstrings are the co-pilot. What is happening here is the pilot has had little too much to drink and has fallen asleep so the co-pilot has to work overtime. In time, the co-pilot is going to get exhausted from always covering the pilots butt........literally.

Keeping Your Cool

I have no idea what Dick Hartzell was thinking in this video. Perhaps he chased some prescription pills down with a shot of whiskey. None the less, notice how he continues with his lecture...........now that's keeping your cool.



Yeah, what the hell was he thinking!!!???

DN

Featured Exercise

Inverted Row:

The inverted row is by far my favorite horizontal pulling exercise. Different than cable rows, during the inverted row one must maintain pillar like stability through out their body. Although you can perform it underneath a straight barbell, using a Jungle Gym will allow you to add a rotational component to it. In time, this option will save your shoulders by recruiting a more functional rotator cuff action to it.



DN

Stop Stretching Your Back!

Trying to increase range of motion at the lumbar spine is DANGEROUS. I haven’t really written in depth on this because I honestly forget that people don’t already know this. It is a subject that has been written about extensively, so I did not want to beat a dead horse. But I continue to see people come to me with low back stretches that their PT or Doctor gave them for their low back pain. So, if so many PT’s, Doctors, etc, don’t know this……….then how would the general public know? Let me be clear, unless you are looking to increase back pain, STOP trying to stretch your low back!!

Physical Therapist, Shirley Sahrmann states in her book, Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, "Rotation of the lumbar spine is more dangerous than beneficial and rotation of the pelvis and lower extremities to one side while the trunk remains stable or is rotated to the other side is particularly dangerous." Sahrmann notes that "The overall range of lumbar rotation is approximately 13 degrees. The rotation between each segment from T10 to L5 is 2 degrees. The greatest rotational range is between L5 and S1, which is 5 degrees. The thoracic spine, not the lumbar spine should be the site of greatest amount of rotation of the trunk.”

You must understand that the primary role of the abdominals is to provide isometric stabilization and limit the rotation of the lumbar spine. If you are doing any of the following stretches/exercises, my advice is to stop before you have to chase one of your vertebrae down the street.













































DN

Back Squats and Shoulder Pain

Q: I am a powerlifter and have recently had to stop squatting because of severe shoulder pain. What can I do to train around the pain?

A: When someone’s shoulder is hurting during a back squat, it is usually a sign of shoulder impingement (external rotation + abduction). Depending on the severity, you may want to get it looked at. Front squatting (I prefer using straps) would most likely feel better than back squatting.












Front squat using straps

You could also try squatting with a Rackable Cambered Squat Bar . These are options to work around the pain and still create a training effect. But don’t neglect some good old soft tissue work. I'd bet your shoulder has some barnicles growing in it :-) ......The Foam Roller should be your best friend for a while.

The Deadlift: Teaching it and fixing it

One of my favorite quotes from Mike Boyle is “A bad program done well is better than a good program done poorly”. This holds so much truth. You can have the best program with the best exercises but they are close to worthless if the execution of the exercises are sloppy. As coaches we should dislike mediocrity and strive for our athletes to function properly in the gym so that they perform better in their sport. We need to learn when to be coaching intensive, when to shut up and what coaching cues are correct in the right moments. Read more......

Featured Exercise:

Medicine Ball Rotary Throw

Want to punch harder, kick faster, hit the ball further or just try a core exercise with a little edge? Not matter your sport, improving your rotary power will dramatically improve your performance. Plus, whats the point of having a well developed core with no power behind it? Try the 1/2 kneeling rotary throw for 3 weeks to learn how to properly load the far hip and transfer the energy from your hip, through your core and upper extremities. Once you are proficient at that progress to standing.

Med Ball Rotary Throw - 1/2 kneeling


Med Ball Rotary Throw - standing


Medicine Balls have a thousand different uses. They are a must have tool for any gym and/or home. Some Med balls bounce and some don't. Both are great and offer fantastic results.

DN

Efficient Ways To Get Fat And Stay Fat - Part 2

As promised, here is part 2. Enjoy!!

5. Lift light weights – Well, if you are going to lift weights. Make sure you lift light weights so that you don’t add any muscle. Because as you know now, muscle burns fat and we need to hold on to that fat.

Fat Burning Solution: I have written this before. Why would you lift a weight 10 times, when you could actually lift it 20 times? How does that make sense???? Welcome to the logic train………CHOO CHOO!!

6. Eat more sugar and starchy carbohydrates – Make sure to consume the larger percentage of your calories from sugar and starchy carbohydrates (rice, pasta, etc). This way your insulin levels sore and send your blood sugar into a whirlwind. Not only will you help hold on to fat but you might even score some diabetes!

Fat Burning Solution: Try to have things like rice, pasta and potatoes post workout only. All other times, get your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables. Remember to consume a lean protein every time you eat. Although “calories in versus calories out” is a must in losing fat, it’s not just about the calories. Not everybody tolerates carbohydrates the same. Also, gluten (wheat and other grains containing gluten) is a large food allergen for many and has been linked to irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease and more. *Poor choices if you are looking to lose fat.*

7. Don’t change your workout program – Who wants results?? Results are for losers!! Keep doing the same workout program you have been doing Richard Simmons shorts were “IN”. If you keep on the same program, your body will adapt to the demands that you have placed on it. This way you will burn fewer calories during your workout because your body is used to it. Perfect for the goal of fat storing.

Fat Burning Solution: Insanity is defined as, “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”. Sorry but someone had to say it :)

8. Skip breakfast - Ahhhh. Perfect. Nothing beats topping an 8-10 fast by……….fasting even longer. This is a fantastic way to kill your metabolism, lose muscle and store fat. Really try to push it. To maximize your fat storing results, try not to eat until noon. *Me skipping breakfast.....seriously, ask my wife.*

Fat Burning Solution: Have you ever thought about what “breakfast” means? Break the fast!! You have been fasting all night. It is of the most importance that you consume something right away! The Golden Rule is, eat within 15 minutes of waking up. If you have some time, make a veggie omelet. If you are running behind try 2 scoops of protein, a hand full of frozen blueberries, and 1-2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds. Blend it up and go.

DN

Efficient Ways To Get Fat And Stay Fat - Part 1

Yes, I realize nobody wants to get fat and stay fat. Hopefully the sarcasm will make it a fun read. I will post Part 2 tomorrow.

1. Eat 1-2 meals per day – By only eating 1-2 times per day, your body can really go after that lean muscle for fuel and hold on to more fat. One pound of fat yields approximately 3500 calories. Because of this, your body will hold on to fat for survival purposes and feast off of your muscle. After all, who needs muscle?? *Said in a sarcastic voice*

Fat Burning Solution: Repeat after me, “I will eat every 2-3 hours”. Say it again, “I will eat every 2-3 hours”…….NO MATTER WHAT!! If you want to create a high firing metabolism, this is a must! You will create a thermogenic effect in your body and actually burn more calories by consuming more calories. Your total meals per day should be between 5 and 8. Note: These are mini-meals.

2. Do cardio for an hour – This is one of the best ways to become an efficient “fat storing” machine. When you perform long slow distance, low intensity, aerobic training, you are teaching your body to hang on to fat. Because you are in the mythical “fat burning” zone, you are using most of your fuel as fat during that hour of training. This sounds good at first, but now realize that you are programming your body to store fat for the other 23 hours of your day.

Fat Burning Solution: High Intensity Interval Training. The idea is to work as hard as you can for a designated time, rest for a designated time and do it again. This can be done in many different ways and on many different pieces of equipment. The Schwinn Airdyne bike is my favorite because you can have the least impact on your joints and the most impact on your muscular and energy system. For simplicity, lets use sprinting for an example. Here is a good work to rest ratio to start with:

Sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 90 seconds. Perform 5 sets. Add one set per week for 3-4 weeks. After that keep the work the same but take the rest down to 75-60 seconds. These sessions will last around 15 minutes. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little longer. For the most part, stay away from traditional cardio (30 min-1 hour) if your goal is to shed fat.


*Some of our light heavyweight and heavyweight fighters working through some intervals on the bike. Miserable!!*

3. Eat very low calories – Just like only eating 1-2 times per day, eating around 1000-1200 calories can really help you hold on to more fat while pissing away that nagging muscle.

Fat Burning Solution: Most women will be around 1800-2000 calories and men around 3000-3500 calories. Of course this depends on the persons activity level, etc. But these are common numbers. Make sure these calories consist of lean protein, veggies and fruits.

4. Don’t lift weights – Now we can scare that muscle away for good. Because muscle burns fat, and we don’t want that (that rhymes). Combo this with an hour of cardio and you are on your way to holding onto that fat like mama bear holds on to baby bear.

Fat Burning Solution: Uhhhhhhhhh…………Lift weights. Period.

DN